The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring [Hardcover]

Ruth Sanderson (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: 3 and up

Brave deeds and wondrous magic come together in this tale based on a classic Russian folktale. A young huntsman named Alexi leaves home seeking adventure and fortune. Instead, he finds the Golden Mare, who pledges eternal loyalty in exchange for sparing her life. With the mare's help, Alexi becomes the Tsar's best huntsman, but then the jealous Tsar presents him with several impossible tasks, threatening to have him killed if he fails. Each time, Alexi secretly enlists the help of the Golden Mare - and succeeds. But his final task is to win Yelena the Fair, a lovely young maiden whom the old Tsar wants as his bride. Will Alexi be able to use his own powers to save himself and Yelena?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sanderson (The Crystal Mountain) draws from several Russian fairy tales to fashion a clever story about a well-intentioned young horseman, his magical mare and a greedy czar. The sumptuous oil paintings take immediate command of the double-page spreads, the sometimes breathtaking scenes distinguished by lustrous hues and intricate particulars. On a quest to seek his fortune "and perhaps to find an adventure or two as well," Alexi encounters a magnificent mare who pledges to serve the lad if he spares her life. The horse leads her new master to the palace of the czar, who hires Alexi as his horseman, yet is bitter that he cannot claim Alexi's imposing horse as his own. Disgruntled, the czar demands of the lad seemingly impossible tasks, among them capturing the elusive firebird and fetching a maiden from "a distant eastern land" to be the ruler's bride. The wise equine is the true hero of the story, valiantly coming to Alexi's rescue in each episode end eventually bringing about the not unexpected happy-ever-after d‚nouement. Sanderson's narrative has a lush, lyrical quality, and her renderings of lavish architectural detail, elaborate period dress and an unsullied natural world will bring youngsters back for repeat readings. Her dramatically lit firebird is nothing short of resplendent. Ages 8-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. Sanderson includes elements from several Russian fairy tales in this colorful picture book for older readers. Alexi, a worthy young man, befriends the magical golden mare, who helps him meet the czar's increasingly unreasonable demands. Together they capture the elusive firebird, bring Yelena the Fair to the palace, and retrieve her magic ring. Alexi then helps Yelena work a bit of magic on the czar, who jumps into a cauldron of boiling water with the hope of becoming young again. He emerges as a baby, to be adopted by the new czar, Alexi, and his bride, Yelena. The pace never flags in this romantic adventure. Its mix of several traditional elements leads to an episodic structure and a rather long text; however, the story will hold readers' attention, though each folkloric element loses some of its dramatic force in this blended version. Rich in color and decorative detail, the oil paintings have a distinctly narrative quality that enhances the book . Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; 1 edition (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316769061
• ISBN-13: 978-0316769068
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,076,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I loved two things the most when I was growing up - fairy tales and horses. And over the past 30-odd years I have been drawing and painting them both for the many books I have illustrated. My latest fairy tale is GOLDILOCKS, and THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES will be back in print in 2011.

I have a BLOG about creating the artwork for the new HORSE DIARIES chapter book series- http://horsediaries.blogspot.com/. My website is www.ruthsanderson.com. Thanks for buying books!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice illustrations, newish version of stories., November 20, 2004

By 

Kotori (Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring, The (School & Library Binding)

A conglomeration of russian folk tales. Alexi the huntsman seeks his fortune & finds a job with the Tsar, along the way acquiring a magic horse, and at the end of his journey, a wondorous bride.

The illustrations are quality Sanderson, as always very factual and detailed, but probably her finest. I always find myself a little let down as her illustrations dont quite have the magic & mysterious quality of some other illustrators such as Kinuko Y Craft or Trina S. Hyman to name just two of the finest.

The story mangages to be quite interesting, in spite of the quest for the Firebird being such a familiar story, and in the end there is a lovely twist in revenge for the Tsar.

Quite good.

kotori [e-mail]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE ART WORK ALONE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK., March 4, 2007

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring (Hardcover)

This work in a combination of old Russian tales retold by the author. They will be quite familiar to readers of such. They are certainly no worse for the wear in this retelling though as the author has done a wonderful job. The tales are the typical quest type, my favoriet genre. The real magic of this book though are the wonderful illustrations. The detail is almost magical and the colors are absolutely dazzling. I could pontificate somewhat in comparing comparing her work with other authors, but this is an absolute silly excercise as each artist should be judge on their own works and not those of others. I liked this work. The kids I read it to like it. It is informative, fun and a delight to see. What more could you want?

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolute Favorite of My Two Sons, August 19, 2011

By 

Fairy Godmother's Bookshelf (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring (Hardcover)

This story weaves together several Russian fairytales to create an exciting adventure from start to finish. My seven-year-old enjoys any well-written story of mythical beasts and young heroes performing impossible tasks, but the gorgeous illustrations made this book captivating to even my three-year-old. The pictures are beautiful, detailed, and large; there is a high art-to-text ratio that makes this book perfect for young children. Both of my boys ask for this book again and again, and it is one of my favorites to read to them. I highly recommend it.